Ami Fey: Clairvoyant Channeler
by White Weasel
Summary: Ami Fey is immortalized in the annals of Kurain's sacred writings. She was the brave woman who discovered the Kurain Channeling Technique and founded Kurain Village. However these writings can never tell the full story of her life, the story of a teenage girl who simply wanted her grandfather back.
1. Grandfather

**AN: This is a new story that was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but the more I thought about it the more I realized just how much I could explore with this subject. Actually, I do not know of a single story that deals with Ami, so I'd like to say this is an original concept put into action. Obviously this story will contain OCs... and Ami (who for some reason is not listed as a character choice, then again she never actually appears in game). Enough of my rambling, I hope you enjoy.**

I sat in the pathway by a small Japanese shrine. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and the sun was beating down hard. I wanted to be home where I could get away from the harmful rays, or at least take cover under some shade.

Most girls my age _should_ be inside right now learning how to become a great wife cooking, cleaning, and maybe even sewing. I was a 'special' case. I was being trained to communicate with the gods. Of course this set me apart from others my age. I was _different _and being different was bad. Even if someone _wanted _to talk to me their parents would not allow it. They believed that a _girl_ should not be in charge of such an important job.

I sighed. I had nothing to do at this moment. The spiritual leaders were performing an important ritual that a beginner like me should have no part in. I quietly took my hair out from the bun my mother had put in that morning. I hated wearing my long hair up even with it being so hot. Another thing I was made fun of for: my black hair. It was unnaturally dark, especially for someone who came from parents who were light brunettes.

"Ami! Ami Fey!" A woman's voice yelled. I looked up to see grandmother calling me over. I stood up and dusted off my long robes. I always hated the uniform; I would trip over the ends whenever I tried to walk too fast.

"Yes grandmother, what is it?" I bowed slightly and then looked into her eyes to see them filled with sadness. What could have made her so upset?

"It is your grandfather; his illness has overtaken him." Somehow she kept her composure. She had probably already done her fair share in mourning the loss of her husband. She looked over to me and saw that my eyes were big and my mouth was opened slightly. "I-I'm sorry."

"Y-y-you're lying." I accused. I slowly backed away from her. He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't.

"Ami, I know that you were close t-"

"You're lying! Grandfather isn't dead!" The woman flinched at my reaction. I was usually so calm, and she had never heard me yell before, especially not at an elder.

"I know that you are upset, but you need to believe me." I turned her head and started to cry. People who died went to yomi, a terrible place where a river separated the living and the dead. Grandmother gently wrapped me into a hug. "Shhhh, it will be okay my child." I sniffed and let out even more tears.

"W-w-why?" I sobbed. "W-why do the kami p-punish those who are good to them?" After hearing this grandmother let go of me abruptly.

"Ami, you better than anyone should know that our gods are just. They do not do anything without a reason." It was not ideal to reprimand a girl who had just heard news of a relative's death, but it was against the laws in the villages to question the higher authorities.

"Yes they do! I never wanted to be a priestess! They're a bunch of thieves! They have stolen my life away from me!" At this point I felt like a small five year old throwing a temper tantrum.

"Do not let anyone hear you say that; you could be killed." I immediately closed my mouth. "You are a smart young girl, but if you do not use those smarts what is the point?" She smiled softly, pat me on the head, and left, presumably to inform others of her husband's passing.

I was left to think about the news she was just told. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't digest it. Grandfather couldn't be dead. He was always so active, even with his illness. My head fell into my hands. I willed more tears to come forward, but they refused to. It wasn't as if there weren't any; they just could not escape my eyes. I could simply not cry for one of my greatest friends.

Grandfather had always listened to my stories of how others would harass me, even when he had other things he could have been doing. He would even offer me advice, which was more than can be said for my parents. Father was always working for little pay or sleeping because of how physically demanding his job was. Mother pretended to listen, but really did nothing because she wanted her daughter to be the first female spiritual leader.

Eventually the blue sky became darker and darker. I had to return home. Mother greeted me by the door.

"Your grandfather is inside. We haven't prepared him for burial yet because we figured you would want to see him." I nodded my head slowly and went into the house. After taking off my sandals I made my way to where grandfather laid on a mat. He looked so peaceful, almost like he was in a sleep and not… gone.

Carefully I grabbed his hand and held it in one of my own. It was cold, a definite sign that he was no longer living. I sat like that for minutes, simply holding his hand. No one said anything, but I heard the shuffling of feet that also indicated that everyone else had exited the room. They had left me alone.

"Grandfather, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I worried you with all my problems." The tears that were not present before were now welling up in my eyes. "Maybe if I had prayed a little harder, sacrificed something a little bigger…" I traced the back of his wrinkly hand with my other hand's finger. Much to my surprise his hand opened and something cold dropped into my palm. I wrapped my fingers around the item and let go of grandfather.

I seemed to be holding a small blue rock. It looked as if it were half of the ying-yang symbol.

"A magatama?" These things were extremely rare. It was said that even the gods envied the one who held this object. Suddenly an idea came to me, and with this it just might work.

* * *

I sat in one of the rooms often used for sacrificing. Many candles were lit giving the dark room an eerie feel. It was right around midnight after all. I was dressed in my long dark robe and was double checking that the doors were locked.

"Perfect." I muttered to myself. "Just one more thing." Out of my robe I pulled out the magatama I had received that day and set it on the small alter in the front of the room. Taking in a deep breath I got on my knees, bowed my head, and folded my hands.

"Dear gods of all things good and right, please hear my prayer to you. I have brought you an offering of great worth. If you would just return my grandfather to me you may have it." I started. I didn't know if it was okay to bargain with beings higher than you, but maybe bargaining for a life justified my actions. "I am begging you; please bring him back to me. He is a very good person. He always sacrificed to you." I was focusing all my heart, soul, and mind on having him return to me. "Please! Please, I will never complain about my duties ever again! I'll do anything. I will even…" I never got to finish that sentence, because suddenly everything around me became black.

When I woke up all of the candles were out and it seemed as if nothing had changed. In other words there was no sign of grandfather. Slowly I got up and relit a single candle. From the light I could tell that my magatama was still there, but there was a piece of cloth with something written on it too. I inspected it further.

_**Ami,**_

_**I thank you for giving me the chance to say my final goodbyes to everyone. Too bad I couldn't say mine to you (at least not directly). Just remember, I will always be with you and watch over you. Just don't try to channel spirits anymore, okay. It seems to take a lot of energy out of you.**_

_** ~Grandfather**_

I gasped in shock and almost dropped the candle. Channel spirits; is that what I had done? No, that was impossible. After you died you were supposed to stay on the other side of the river; you were not supposed to go back and forth. But then, how did you explain the note? I stuffed it into my pocket along with the stone. I wanted to just forget about it, wanted to believe it was a simple prank pulled by some other children. Kids could be cruel about that kind of thing.

I returned home and opened the sliding door as silently as I could. I didn't want anyone to know about my sneaking out. I breathed a sigh of relief; I was in the clear when…

"Ami, is that you?" I jumped at the sound of grandmother's voice.

"O-oh yes it is. I could not sleep so I- I was going to make myself some tea."

"Thank you." I cocked her head in confusion. "Thank you for letting me speak to him one last time. Thank you for letting me speak to your grandfather."

I froze. Okay, this wasn't a joke. Why would grandmother kid about something like that? She might not have seemed like it, but I knew she was hurt even more deeply than I was at his death. _**Just don't try to channel spirits anymore, okay.**_But after you died you went to yomi, or if you were an especially great person you might be raised to be on the same level as the gods.

_**Just remember, I will always be with you and watch over you. **_There wasn't supposed to be a limbo. The dead weren't supposed to wander around on earth. They weren't _supposed_ to, but they _did_. _Channeling spirits, huh? Just how am I going to explain this to the head priest?_

**I know that this first chapter was a slow start, but this was a necessary plot point. Trust me, this fic will spread over long periods of time. Call it a "life fic." **


	2. When Ami Met Tadashi

**AN: Ah, sorry for the delay you guys. I had a lot going on. I mean, it is almost Christmas. Anyways, for each chapter I am going to put some notes about Japanese culture so that you may better understand it. I will only put these notes if there is anything I have not yet explained.**

**Honorifics (The title you give someone)**

**San: This is what you usually tack onto someone's name. It's about the English equivalent to Ms. or Mr.**

**Sensei: Most people believe this means teacher,which it can, but it can also mean someone who is experienced in a certain art or skill.**

**No Honorific: The person addressing you is very close to you, and you have given your permission for them to address you as such, or (if the person doesn't have permission) they are being extremely rude.**

The next day I had nothing to do so I sat under the Cherry Blossom trees across from my home. Even if I did have duties at the temple I don't think I would have been able to concentrate fully on my tasks. My mind was too busy with thoughts about spirit channeling. How did it work? Who could I channel? Was I the only one who could do it? I couldn't even hear someone approaching me until they cleared their throat. I turned around and noticed a boy who was about one head taller than me. He was wearing long muted red robes the reached mid-calf.

"Tadashi-san, what are you doing here?" I asked him. He was a year older than me, sixteen. When we were younger he and I were in the same terakoya where the priests first took great interest in me. Though we saw each other on a daily basis we rarely ever talked. So when we left the terakoya we did not keep in contact. Why was he here?

"I heard about your grandfather." He replied. I turned my head away.

"Oh." Was he here to laugh? He had personally never attacked me but I wouldn't put it past some of the others around the village.

"I have to say that I am truly sorry for your loss." He bowed politely. I turned my head back to face him. "I do not have any money for ko-den, but maybe some flowers would suffice?"

"I, um, you really don't have to. I'm sure that we have plenty at our house." If you counted one bunch of Cherry Blossoms hastily picked off a tree as "plenty."

"Then one more couldn't hurt." He grabbed my hand to pull me onto me feet. I waited for him to start walking first. After all, he was the one guiding me. He never walked faster than me, though I'm sure he could have because of how much longer his legs were compared to mine. He would send me sidelong glances every once in a while, and I couldn't help but notice that his eyes were full of pity. I always tried to pretend that I didn't see him looking.

Eventually Tadashi stopped at a small garden that had a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. He used the small dirt path the separated it into sections to walk over the some white flowers. There were many long pedals coming out from the center of each of them. He bent over and started to pluck them up from the ground.

"W-wait, you can't just go onto someone else's property and take their things." I walked hurriedly over to where he was squatting.

He turned his head to me. "I'm not."

"Yes you are. This is-"

"My mother's garden." He turned back to his work. "The only thing we need to worry about is if she finds out." He pulled the last flower and handed the bouquet composed of about six flowers to me. "Here you go, White Chrysanthemums."

I looked down at them. They were extremely beautiful. "Thank you, you are too kind to me."

"Actually, those are for your grandfather." My face turned red from sheer embarrassment.

"Oh, I-I knew that. I was j-just saying that it was nice of you to think of him. My family has only received one ko-den before this so…" I clutched the flowers to my chest as I rattled off the first things that popped into my head.

"But didn't you say that you had 'plenty of them at your house'." I started to get paler. He laughed a little. "Surely you do not count one ko-den as plenty."

"I, well, you see…" I stammered. "I have to go." I ran out of there with my head watching my feet. I'm sure I dropped the Chrysanthemums. I was so humiliated. I never got much of a chance to talk to people outside of my family, or those who worked at the temple, and now when I had the chance I made myself like a fool. I'm such an idiot.

Soon I slowed to a much more normal rate of walking. I heard other footsteps approaching behind me. If I were to guess it was two pair of feet.

"Oi, it's Ami. Ami, hey Ami, over here." I ignored the voice of a boy whose name I couldn't seem to remember. This is how it usually went if I strayed too far from the temple.

"Ami, why so glum?" A girl ran up and started walking next to me. The boy mirrored her movements. I responded with silence and continued on walking. Oh gods, please let them leave me be.

"It's because her ahhh, what was it?" He snapped his fingers while trying to remember something. He pointed as soon as he found what he was racking his brain for. "Her grandfather. Her grandfather died yesterday."

The two continued to converse like I wasn't there. "Well of course he did. With a granddaughter like her."

I involuntarily stiffened, but continued the pace at which I was walking. The boy's face contorted into something between a smile and a smirk. He stuck finally turned his head towards me. "The gods are so angry with you."

I stopped and gave him a blank look. What he had said sounded like a toddler antagonizing a sibling. "What are you talking about?"

"You are so naïve." The girl flipped her auburn hair, almost as if to show her superiority.

"Aww, Yuuka don't expect too much from the sheltered child." The boy ruffled Yuuka's hair.

"I'm not Yuto." She pouted her lips out. "She's still a member of the village and should know that if you go against their decrees you get punished. Actually she should know best; she _is_ a priestess."

"I-I haven't gone against any laws-" I was starting to fiddle with the magatama I was carrying in the sleeves of my kimono. I eventually pulled it out and held it in my hands.

"Yes you have. A female cannot be a leader, especially a spiritual leader." Yuto shook his head as if he were disappointed in me.

"O-odoshi-Sensei said that it was perfectly fine…" If the head spiritual leader allowed it there should be no problem.

"Well, _Odoshi-Sensei_ doesn't know everything. My father said that he doesn't know what he's talking about. He is too old." Yuuka continued to go on about Odoshi and I continued to rub my magatama nervously. "Oooooooh, what's that?" She snatched the rock from my grip.

"I know what that is! It's a…. a…." Yuto snapped his fingers again while trying to remember. Apparently he did that a lot. "A magatama!"

"G- give it back." Why could I not stop stuttering?

"Yuto, look at what a pretty bracelet it would make. I don't think we should let little Ami keep such a gem." She giggled at the double meaning of her words.

Suddenly a voice came from behind her. "I believe she told you to give it back." Yuuka turned around to be met with the form of Tadashi looming over her. He was holding some White Chrysanthemums, presumably the ones I had dropped earlier.

"Come on Tadashi-kun, you know we were just playing." I could tell that Yuto didn't believe his own words as sweat drops appeared on his face.

"I don't care. Don't you know that her grandfather just died?"

Both shook their heads vigorously. "Of course not, we heard no such thing. Sorry." They bowed quickly while apologizing and Yuuka returned the magatama. As soon as they could they ran away the way they came.

"Thank you," I looked to the side avoiding eye contact.

"It really was nothing." He said stoically. He shoved the flowers in my direction. "Here, don't drop these this time."

My face grew red, but I forced a smile. "I do not plan to. These ones are making it straight to grandfather."

"Good, well I best be going." He turned around and immediately started to walk in the direction his house was. He didn't say a proper goodbye, but I really didn't care. He had helped me. He didn't need to, but he did. My face still red, I finally returned home.

**Japanese Customs:**

**Terakoya: A place that educates the children of a village. It is usually run inside a temple.**

**Ko-den: It is customary that when someone dies you give the family of said person a gift. This gift is usually in the form of money, but it is not uncommon for it to be expressed in flowers.**

**AN: Yeah, so I basically just piled a majority of the major characters on you here. Right now they probably seem very flat, but don't worry! We'll see more personality eventually.**


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